Fan Zhongyan and Han Qi got up relatively early that day. As soon as the gates of Bianliang City opened, they would leave here and head to the border between Song and Xia, which was the front line.
To Shoutang, this was just a normal mission and negotiation. If a war really broke out, he, the privy envoy, would not be too afraid. However, Fan Zhongyan's heart at this time could be said to have mixed feelings.
He has somewhat forgotten that this is the first time he has entered Bianliang and the first time he has left Bianliang. But this time is at least different from the last time. The last time Fan Zhongyan left Bianliang, he suffered
When it came time to reprimand him, no one came to see him off. It could be said that he left Bianliang in despair.
But this time is different. This time Fan Zhongyan can be said to have returned to his hometown with honor, and it was Emperor Zhao Zhen who personally invited Fan Zhongyan back, and then gave Fan Zhongyan absolute power. Now he and Han Qi are sent as envoys to Daxia to solve the problem.
The problem between the two forces. In the eyes of others, Fan Zhongyan can be said to have unlimited glory and power this time. However, Fan Zhongyan’s analysis of the situation is very clear. If he had changed before, when he was younger, he might have
Fan Zhongyan would be very proud of the power he has now and the great things he can do. But after all, he is getting older now, and he has begun to become more mature and steady. After experiencing so many ups and downs, Fan Zhongyan now seems
He is relatively calm and looks at problems very thoroughly.
He knew that Zhao Zhen's invitation to him back this time was actually more of a helpless move. Because no one in the court could take on the important task of negotiating peace and solving this difficult problem. However, the imperial examination was held as scheduled.
, after this exam, a group of talents will enter the court. At that time, Zhao Zhen will be able to find one or two outstanding talents among these newcomers to replace Fan Zhongyan. As for Fan Zhongyan, this time
As an envoy, how could he not understand that Zhao Zhen was hiding a knife in his smile and wanted to use this matter to suppress Fan Zhongyan? If he handles this matter well, that is his duty as a minister. If he handles this matter poorly,
, then it just gave Fan Zhongyan a chance to kill someone with a borrowed knife, and he might be faced with the situation of leaving Bianliang again.
Fan Zhongyan naturally didn't want this to happen, but for a while, although he had preliminary plans for the issue between Song and Xia, he had to wait until he met the other party before he could make further plans.
Speaking of the newcomers who may pass the imperial examination, Fan Zhongyan's name immediately appeared in Fan Zhongyan's mind. When he thought of Lu Yao, it was like seeing himself when he was young. The only difference may be that Lu Yao is not the same as Lu Yao.
He is not from a poor family like himself. However, what Lu Yao does is more to benefit the children of poor families. Fan Zhongyan fully approves of this. However, this young man has his own ideas, although Fan Zhongyan has many
Although Lu Yao showed no obvious intention to join.
But no matter what, the map he gave him last night was of great help to him on this mission.
Fan Zhongyan thought about it, and he and Han Qi had already arrived at the edge of the outer city of Bianliang on horseback. The two of them took the north gate. There are relatively few people coming and going through the north gate on weekdays. Usually, outsiders and common people come and go.
The most frequented one is the west gate, while the north gate is mostly reserved for officials.
Speaking of Fan Zhongyan's traveling team this time, of course Han Qi and Fan Zhongyan were not the only ones. Since the two sides were going to have peace talks, they still had to bring some symbolic gifts. In addition, in order to avoid accidents, Han Qi also
He selected some of his own soldiers to escort him and Fan Zhongyan all the way to the Song-Xia border area. In addition to some other officials in the mission, including those who proposed to solve the problem through peace talks last night.
Deputy Privy Envoy. In fact, Han Qi is a little confused about the fact that Zhang Feng can still follow everyone on the border mission today. Since His Majesty has always advocated a war, why is it that he is completely on the side of the Lord and the peace minister?
How could Zhang Feng, the deputy envoy to the Privy Council who was sent to consider his position, still be able to follow him on his mission? Shouldn't he be kicked out of this team logically? Fan Zhongyan didn't think there was anything wrong with this. Although Zhang Feng was a representative of the peace faction
, but what he said yesterday is not unreasonable if you think about it carefully. It is much better than the peace faction who can't come up with any specific plans and only clamor to solve the problem through peace talks. Although in
There may be deviations in the general direction, but in terms of specific plans and rectification measures, many things Zhang Feng said should attract their attention. This may be what Zhao Zhen values about Zhang Feng, and he wants Zhang Feng to follow him.
Travel, constantly discover problems and then solve them. During the peace talks, Zhang Feng can also put forward some good suggestions, which can also extend the time of the peace talks.
"There will always be someone who plays the good guy and someone who plays the bad guy." Regarding Zhang Feng's joining, Fan Zhongyan finally left this sentence. Moreover, Zhang Feng's performance is also under the control of Han Qi. Once he is found to have done something
If anything goes too far, a memorial can turn Zhang Feng's power into nothingness.
Fan Zhongyan and Han Qi arrived at the north gate. Fan Zhongyan was riding on his horse. When he turned around and saw his vast team of envoys, he had mixed feelings in his heart. His mood during this trip was similar to the previous times when he left Bianliang.
It's completely different, this is life.
This time, he actually had a bit of a mentality of "the wind is rustling and the water is cold, and a strong man will never return once he is gone".
There were a few officials who came to see him off, who admired Fan Zhongyan very much. They all stood on the street without saying a word. What made Fan Zhongyan happy was that some people also spontaneously came to the north gate to pay tribute to themselves.
Send off.
You know, Fan Zhongyan came back not long ago, but it has been a long time since he was reprimanded last time. Therefore, he does not think that he is still a king in this city, or that the people will remember him.
Live him.
However, a good official is a good official. Fan Zhongyan’s contribution may not be remembered by everyone. But there will always be people who remember what he has done. Therefore, what really moves Fan Zhongyan is actually standing now
On the street, people watched him leave.
Han Qi, who was next to Fan Zhongyan, didn't understand. Logically speaking, Fan Zhongyan returned to his hometown with great glory this time, so this mission, although Fan Zhongyan had
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A night banquet was held to see him off, but today's mission must have more than half of the officials come to see him off. The time of their mission does not delay the morning meeting, but why are so few officials coming to see him off? Is it really because they are at home?
Didn't you get up?
It's not like this, but they themselves chose not to see Fan Zhongyan off. They also know the purpose of Fan Zhongyan's trip and the possible consequences. Judging from the current situation, it is more likely to be a disaster than a disaster.
For this reason, Han Qi was very angry with those who attended the banquet last night and did not come to see him off today. However, Fan Zhongyan was very calm. He sat on his horse and kept waving to the officials and people who came to see him off.
It's like saying goodbye to them.
At the same time, outside the west gate, a slightly fat man who looked to be in his thirties or forties was entering the city.
The demise of one era will inevitably lead to the arrival of another era. This is always the case in historical development.
This middle-aged man who was about to enter the city was still quite uneasy. He took out a letter from his hand. He really couldn't figure out why Yan Shu, the prime minister of the dynasty, would write a letter to him to ask him to come to Bian.
Liang Lai went to the Prime Minister's Mansion to get together. He was just an ordinary petty official from other places. But this man didn't know that Yan Shu's move would bring about earth-shaking changes in the Song Dynasty in the future.
This man's name is Wang Anshi.
As one of the two men who initiated reforms in the Northern Song Dynasty, Wang Anshi's reforms obviously lasted longer than Fan Zhongyan and had a more far-reaching impact.
He was a native of Linchuan County, Fuzhou (now Fuzhou City, Jiangxi Province) on Jiangnan West Road. According to Qing Dynasty Cai Shangxiang quoted from "Qingjiang County Historic Records", because Wang Anshi's father Wang Yi was a judge of the Linjiang Army at that time, "his son (Wang)
An Shi was born here, and later generations named his hall Weisong.
Wang Anshi was smart since he was a child, loved reading, had a photographic memory, and wrote down his writings. After a little while, he followed his father to travel around the country, got in touch with reality, and experienced the sufferings of the people. His articles were profound and wonderful, and he quoted from other sources, and he began to have the ambition to change customs.
In the fourth year of Jingyou reign of Emperor Renzong of the Song Dynasty (1037), Wang Anshi went to Beijing with his father and met his friend Zeng Gong through his writing. Zeng Gong recommended his writing to Ouyang Xiu, and he was greatly appreciated.
In the second year of Qingli (1042), Wang Anshi ranked fourth in the Jinshi Ranking and was awarded the title of Huainan Jiedu Magistrate. After his term of office expired, Wang Anshi gave up the opportunity to enter the imperial examination in Beijing and was transferred to the county magistrate of Yinxian County. Wang Anshi served for four years and built water conservancy projects.
Expand the school and show initial achievements.
In the third year of Emperor You's reign, Wang Anshi was appointed as the general magistrate of Shuzhou. He was diligent and caring for the people, and achieved remarkable results. Prime Minister Wen Yanbo recommended Wang Anshi to Renzong because he was indifferent to fame and wealth and obeyed the rules. He asked for praise from the court to encourage customs. Wang Anshi did not want to stir up the trend of promotion beyond the level.
Ouyang Xiu recommended him as an admonisher, but Wang Anshi declined because of his grandmother's advanced age. Ouyang Xiu also appointed Wang Anshi as Qunmu Judge on the grounds that Wang Anshi needed a salary to support his family. Soon, Wang Anshi became the magistrate of Changzhou, and he got to know Zhou Dunyi, and his reputation grew.
Wang Anshi advocated "exploiting the wealth of the rich people" to save the "poor people". "The government must have no choice but to take the fertile fields of the rich people and sell them for many times the amount of grain. The poor people will be affected by the disaster. We must not be sympathizing with them."
In the third year of Jiayou's reign, Wang Anshi was transferred to the position of Duzhi judge. Wang Anshi went to Beijing to report on his duties and wrote a 10,000-word "Book of Statements of Emperor Renzong", which systematically proposed reforms. In this review, Wang Anshi summarized his own experience over the years.
The experience of local officials pointed out the reality of the country's weakness and poverty: economic difficulties, corrupt social morale, and worrying national defense and security. He believed that the root cause of the problem was that the politicians did not understand the laws and regulations. The fundamental solution was to imitate the ways of ancient sages and sages and reform.
system, and then put forward the basic ideas of its own talent policies and plans, and suggested that the imperial court should reform the recruitment of scholars and attach importance to talents.
Wang Anshi advocated a comprehensive reform of the legal system since the early Song Dynasty to eliminate the long-standing disadvantages of the Song Dynasty and reverse the situation of poverty and weakness. He also believed that Emperor Wu of the Jin Dynasty, Sima Yan, Emperor Xuanzong of the Tang Dynasty, Li Longji and others only wanted to "ease Yu" and did not seek reform. Taking the fact that it was ultimately destroyed as an example, he demanded an immediate reform of the legal system. However, Renzong did not adopt Wang Anshi's reform proposal.
After that, the imperial court repeatedly appointed Wang Anshi to the post of government official, but he refused to accept it. The scholar-bureaucrats thought that Wang Anshi had no intention of fame and did not seek an official career, and they regretted that they did not get to know each other. The imperial court wanted to entrust Wang Anshi with important tasks many times, but they were worried that Wang Anshi would not want to serve as an official. The imperial court appointed Wang Anshi Wang Anshi was a co-educator of "Daily Commentary", but Wang Anshi declined many times before accepting it. Soon, Wang Anshi was appointed to the Zhixian Academy, where he knew how to make imperial edicts and review criminal cases in the capital.
During Wang Anshi's tenure in Beijing, the imperial court stipulated that Sherenyuan could not apply to delete the text of the imperial edict. Wang Anshi believed that the legislation should not be like this, so he argued hard and offended the princes and ministers. In the eighth year of Jiayou, Wang Anshi resigned from office and returned to Jiangning to mourn.
During the reign of Emperor Yingzong of the Song Dynasty, Wang Anshi was repeatedly recruited to serve in Beijing, but he refused to enter the court on the grounds of mourning his mother and being ill.
In the fourth year of Zhiping, Emperor Shenzong of the Song Dynasty came to the throne. Because he had admired Wang Anshi's name for a long time, he appointed him as the prefect of Jiangning, and immediately made him a Hanlin scholar and lecturer. From then on, Wang Anshi was highly valued by Shenzong.
In April of the first year of Xining, Shenzong summoned Wang Anshi in order to get rid of the political and economic crisis faced by the Song Dynasty and the constant intrusion of Liao and Xixia. Wang Anshi proposed that "the way to govern a country must first determine the method of innovation"; he encouraged Shenzong to follow the example of Yao and Shun, concisely Legal system. Shenzong agreed with Wang Anshi's relevant propositions and asked him to fully assist and complete this task together.
Wang Anshi then wrote "A Hundred Years of Nothing in Our Dynasty", explaining the situation and reasons of peace and tranquility in the early Song Dynasty for more than a hundred years, pointing out the crisis-ridden social problems at that time, hoping that Shenzong would make political achievements, and believed that "there is a time of great promise" , today”.
In the second year of Xining, Shenzong appointed Wang Anshi as the counselor of political affairs and among the ruling officials. Wang Anshi proposed that the top priority was to change customs, establish laws and regulations, and proposed reforms. Shenzong agreed. In order to guide the implementation of the reforms, he established three regulations departments, headed by Wang Anshi. Anshi and Chen Shengzhi were jointly in charge. Wang Anshi appointed Lu Huiqing to take charge of the daily affairs of the Ordinance Department, and sent more than 40 elevating officials to promulgate the new law.
In the third year of Xining, Wang Anshi was appointed as Tong Zhongshu's subordinate Ping Zhangshi, with the same position as prime minister. He implemented new laws across the country and began a large-scale reform movement. The new laws implemented included the equal loss law, the green crop law, and the market change law in terms of finance. The exemption law, the farmland equalization tax law, the farmland water conservancy law; in the military aspect, there are the general law, the armor law, the horse preservation law, etc.
In the fourth year of Xining, Wang An
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Shi promulgated a decree to reform the imperial examination system, abolished the old system of selecting scholars based on poems, poems, poems, and poems, and restored the selection of scholars based on the Spring and Autumn Annals and the Three Transmissions of Ming Dynasty. In the autumn of the same year, the Taixue Sanshe system was implemented.
At the beginning of the reform, Wang Anshi raised the theory of treachery against Shenzong and suggested that Shenzong should identify villains and punish them. After the new law was promulgated, Wang Anshi promoted Lu Huiqing, Zhang Dun, Cai Que and other people to participate in the implementation of the reform.
The purpose of Wang Anshi's reform was to enrich the country and strengthen the army, so as to reverse the situation of poverty and weakness in the Northern Song Dynasty. However, the reform violated the interests of conservatives and was opposed by the conservatives. Less than a year after the promulgation of the law, there were two factions supporting and opposing the reform. Fierce debates and struggles ensued.
Lu Jie, the censor Zhongcheng, accused Wang Anshi of ten major mistakes in the reform. Shenzong was demoted to a local official. Wang Anshi recommended Lu Gongzhu to replace him. Han Qi advised Shenzong to stop the Qingmiao Law. Under the huge pressure from the opposition, Shenzong planned to agree, and the ruling Zeng Gong Liang, Chen Shengzhi and others took the opportunity to agree. Although Wang Anshi argued in many ways, Shenzong still believed that suggestions from all sides should be listened to. Later, Wang Anshi said that he was ill at home, and then asked to resign and go into seclusion. Han Jiang and others persuaded Shenzong to retain Wang Anshi, and Wang Anshi then made several reports inside and outside the court. In the situation where various officials are dependent on each other and collude, it is suggested that Shenzong should not be afraid of popular customs and have the world in mind.
Censor Liu Shu, Liu Qi, Qian Wei, Sun Changling, Wang Zishao, Cheng Hao, Zhang Jian, Chen Xiang, Chen Jian, Xie Jingwen, Yang Hui, Liu Zhi, admonisher Fan Chunren, Li Chang, Sun Jue, and Hu Zongyu all had relationships with Wang Anshi They disagreed and left the court one after another. Wang Anshi quickly promoted Li Ding, the official of Xiuzhou, to be the censor. Song Minqiu, Li Dalin, censor Lin Dan, Xue Changchao, and Fan Yu impeached Li Ding for violating filial piety and were all dismissed from the court. Later, Lu Huiqing After leaving the court due to the death of his father, Wang Anshi entrusted Zeng Bu with important responsibilities and had great trust in him.
In the third year of Xining, Sima Guang wrote to Wang Anshi three times, listing the shortcomings of the implementation of the new law, and asking Wang Anshi to abandon the new law and restore the old system. Wang Anshi's reply refuted Sima Guang's accusations one by one, criticized the conservativeness of the scholar-bureaucrats, and expressed his determination to adhere to the reform. Subsequently Shenzong wanted to appoint Sima Guang as deputy privy envoy. Sima Guang took the opportunity to review and abolish the new law. Shenzong did not agree, so Sima Guang resigned and left Beijing.
In the fourth year of Xining, people in Kaifeng cut off their wrists to avoid Baojia, and the prefect Han Wei reported it to the court. Wang Anshi believed that the new policy was implemented, and the scholar-bureaucrats were still controversial, and the people were more likely to be deceived. Shenzong believed that the opinions of the people should be listened to.
In the spring of the seventh year of Xining, there was a severe drought and hungry people were displaced. The ministers complained that they should avoid the harm of money. Shenzong looked sad and wanted to abolish the bad decree. Wang Anshi believed that natural disasters could not be avoided even in the era of Yao and Shun, so he could send people to control them. An came to Zheng Xia to oppose the reform. He drew a picture of the refugees' drought and hardship and presented it to Shenzong. He also wrote about the faults of the new law and tried his best to remonstrate with Wang Anshi, the prime minister. [43]
In April of the same year, Empress Dowager Cao (Queen Cisheng) and Empress Dowager Gao (Queen Xuanren Gao Taotao) also complained to Shenzong that "Wang Anshi was disrupting the world". Shenzong also became suspicious of the reform, dismissed Wang Anshi from the post of prime minister, and replaced him with Guanwen Palace He was a bachelor, and knew Jiangning Prefecture. He was awarded the title of Minister of the Ministry of Official Affairs from Chaojiu, the minister of the Ministry of Rites.
After Wang Anshi resigned as prime minister, he asked Shenzong to appoint Lu Huiqing as the counselor of the government, and asked Han Jiang to replace him. The two insisted on the law formulated by Wang Anshi. After taking power, Lu Huiqing was worried that Wang Anshi would return to the court and use the excuse of handling Zheng Xia's case. Opportunity framed Wang Anshi's younger brother Wang Anguo, and the Li Shining case was raised to overthrow Wang Anshi. Han Jiang realized Lu Huiqing's intentions and secretly petitioned to recall Wang Anshi.
In February of the eighth year of Xining, Wang Anshi paid homage to the prime minister again. In the same year, Wang Anshi completed the "Three Classics" and was named Shangshu Zuopushe and his servant. Lu Huiqing was transferred to Chenzhou. After Wang Anshi returned to the prime minister, he could not get more support. Coupled with the serious internal divisions within the reform faction, it is difficult to continue to implement the new law.
Wang Anshi's later years were also relatively miserable. In the ninth year of Xining, Wang Anshi repeatedly requested to resign due to illness. In the same year, his eldest son Wang Yu died of illness, and Wang Anshi was extremely sad. In October, Wang Anshi resigned from the post of prime minister, and was transferred to Zhennan Army as military commander, Tong Pingzhang. He was sentenced to Jiangning Prefecture. The following year, he was appointed as the envoy of Jixi Guanshi and was granted the title of Duke of Shu.
In the second year of Yuanfeng, he was once again appointed as Zuo Pushe, a bachelor of Guanwen Palace, and changed to the title of Duke of Jing.
In the eighth year of Yuanfeng, Shenzong passed away. Zhezong of the Song Dynasty came to the throne, and Yuanyou was changed to Yuanyou. Empress Dowager Gao was in charge of the affairs behind the curtain. After Zhezong ascended the throne, he worshiped Wang Anshi as Sikong. Empress Dowager Gao strongly opposed the reform when Shenzong was in charge. After she took charge of the government, she Immediately appointed Sima Guang as prime minister. Sima Guang proposed "replacing mother with son" and completely abolished the new law. It was called "Yuanyou Genghua" in history.
On the sixth day of April in the first year of Yuanyou, Wang Anshi died of illness in Zhongshan at the age of sixty-six. He was given the gift of Taifu and was buried in Jiangning Banshan Garden.
In the first year of Shaosheng's reign, Zhezong of the Song Dynasty came into power, and Zhang Dun, who supported the New Deal, came to power. Wang Anshi was able to enjoy the temple of Shenzong and was given the posthumous title "Wen".
In the third year of Zhenghe, Emperor Huizong of the Song Dynasty named Wang Anshi the King of Shu, and he was entitled to enjoy the Confucius Temple. Later in the first year of Jingkang, he was deprived of the king's title, and the portrait he was entitled to was destroyed, so Wang Anshi was enshrined in the temple.
Throughout Wang Anshi's life, in fact, during the period when Zhao Zhen came to the throne, Wang Anshi did not show any great achievements in politics, and his views were not accepted by Zhao Zhen. The reason why Lu Yao recommended Wang Anshi to Yan Shu before , he also wanted to see what kind of sparks would emerge when Fan Zhongyan and Wang Anshi were combined. After all, the two reform masters were concerned about the combination, and in addition, the opposition in Wang Anshi's reform had not yet emerged. It was the reform. great opportunity.
On Yan Shu's side, after investigating Wang Anshi's official experience, he felt that he was also a capable person, so he wrote a handwritten letter to Wang Anshi and asked Wang Anshi to meet him in Bianliang. Naturally, all this happened. He did this without telling Zhao Zhen. He didn't want to recommend a useless person to the emperor. Even if Lu Yao said that this person was good, he still had to see it with his own eyes.
Lu Yao had already gotten up at this time. He did not take Tang Xi with him today. Instead, he went to the kitchen to make breakfast. After dinner, he was going to see Fan Zhongyan off at the north gate.
Lu Xu had obviously gotten up, but it seemed that Lu Xu had no intention of seeing off Fan Zhongyan with Lu Yao. Lu Yao knew his father's character, so he didn't say too much. After he left the house, he rode directly to the court. Go forward through the north gate.
"Lord Fan!"
Fan Zhongyan had reached the end and was about to leave the north gate and leave the city. Suddenly he heard someone calling him from behind. When he turned around, he saw that it was Lu Yao.